


Rain

by lpmc94



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-19
Updated: 2014-09-19
Packaged: 2018-02-18 00:57:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2329394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lpmc94/pseuds/lpmc94
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cullen must commit a hard act when the group of companions is ambushed in the forest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rain

**Author's Note:**

> The music that inspired this was from Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. Specifically it was the song "Rain" from the fifth opening.

    Would it ever stop raining? The weeping tears of heaven made resounding, harmonious noises off of the fell red crystals that erupted from the landscape. Fire blasted through the watery air, steam sizzling and filling the space. Swords clanged against metal, daggers flashed in the thunderous light coming from the sky. Bolts of lightning as well as flights of arrows were called down from the endless grey heavens to fall to the soaked earth below. It was an ambush.

  
————   

   They came in the early morning hours, not long before the Maker’s eye would crawl past the horizon. The rain cast a grey shadow over the sky, leaving the dawn’s light a dreary hue. The group of eleven had just been about to awaken from their sleep when Gale’s wards shouted an abrupt alarm. The Inquisitor had just sleepily dashed out of his tent when he was launched ass over teakettle into a tree by a red lyrium laced Holy Smite. The man had barely enough energy to scream as he slumped against the tall oak tree.    

    He dazedly watched the camp suddenly come to life as Solas launched a bright flare like spell into the dark sky, illuminating all. The rays reflected off of silvery armor and crimson, bloody crystal. The fallen man dimly recognized Dorian crouching next to him, and felt a healing potion being forced down his throat.

    Through the heavy water falling from the heavens, the recovering Gale saw Solas and Vivienne rain fire and lightning down to the earth, causing their enemies to scatter. While Dorian helped him to his feet, the Inquisitor distantly heard Cullen shouting a war cry, which Cassandra and Blackwall echoed. Gathering his wits about him, Gale followed Dorian into the fray, both bringing forth the full might of their arcane powers to bear. Adrenaline filled the veins of all eleven friends. Their enemies held the advantage of surprise, having caught the group unawares. There was no time for finesse, for refined attacks. This was a fight for their very survival.

    Gale cast forth a sea of blue flame, his lack of staff causing the enchanted fire to blast wildly. The flames hungrily raced towards the enemy until five of the Red Templars cast forth their own power, dissipating the magic into mere wisps of smoke. The mage was struck dumb for a moment, before he sensed five powerful Holy Smites launched in his direction. Taking a page from Solas’s book, Gale used his power to briefly blink away several meters to the left, allowing the red energy to roar by him. 

    A startled scream arose from behind him, and the Inquisitor turned to see that Vivienne had been caught unawares by the attack. The woman slumped to the ground, bleeding heavily from the intensity of the blast. Gale heard himself calling for Dorian to heal her, before he angrily turned back towards the enemy. He let loose a roar, before sending great blasts of force towards the massive trees that covered the forest. While he couldn’t use his power to directly injure the Templars, that didn’t stop him from making the environment itself hurt them. With great wrenching sounds, the wet trees began to fall in great numbers, crushing the majority of his screaming enemies underneath their branches. The result echo from the trees was deafening, before it gave way to silence. The sound of rain filled the air once again as Gale slumped to his knees, breathing very hard. Using force magic to such a powerful degree had drained him entirely. 

    What he heard next chilled his blood to the bone. Great, thumping steps overtook the sounds of rain, slowly making its way through the fallen trees, crushing them utterly. A fell bestial roar resounded through the forest and made Gale’s hair stand on end.

    “Fuck,” he breathed tiredly, before yelling, “Behemoth!”

——————

    Cullen barely had time to grab his sword and shield before he found himself surrounded by his former comrades in arms. He raised his sword in salute to them, before spinning in a maelstrom of steel and death. All the while, he whispered, “ _O Maker, hear my cry; guide me through the blackest nights. O Creator, see me kneel: for I only walk where You would bid me._ ”

    While the man chanted, he unleashed his full might, slaying the men and women who had once been his brothers and sisters, those who had sold their souls to the empty night. One by one he took their lives. His words began to crescendo as his anger grew and roared those immortal words into the downpour:  
    “ _Blessed are those who stand before the corrupt and wicked_ ,” he screamed into the rain, “ _and do not falter!_ ”  
   
    As he fought, the general felt a wave of magic erupting behind him. Following his long honed instincts, the warrior jumped high, twisting through the air to dodge several trees that were falling, no doubt his boss’s work, for he could sense the man’s magical signature surrounding the fallen branches. Fortunately, the massive trees had managed to crush their enemies, bringing a quick and nasty conclusion to the fight. At least until Cullen heard the loud roar echo through the air, causing his heart to plummet. He turned to see a large crystalline giant stumble through the woods, stepping over the felled trees. The red crystals that made up its form glowed in an eerie contrast to the rain. A behemoth had come to challenge them. 

    Since it was closest to him, Cullen took the lead and began an assault upon the monster. He battered the creature with his shield and channeled power through his blade, allowing it cut the cursed crystal.

    Again, the man began to whisper, " _Now his hand is raised, a sword to pierce the sun. With iron shield he defends the faithful, let chaos be undone._ ”

    The mutated being all the while slammed his fists onto the ground trying to crush the general. As it did, red crystals erupted in waves from the ground terraforming the forest into a crimson nightmare. As he struck a hard blow, shattering the crystals upon the creature’s left arm, Cullen saw something that nearly got him killed. Only at the last second did he twist into a backflip that allowed him to dodge a strike that would have taken his head from his shoulders. As he landed, the man could do naught but stare. Hanging upon the behemoth’s left arm, where Cullen had sliced away the crystal, was a semi melted metal charm. The general knew, deep within his heart, that the charm once held an image depicting Andraste of the Flame.

    “Liam,” he breathed in surprise, despair filling his heart as he looked at the remains of the man he had called brother.

—————

   _“Maker, aid your humble servant!” the woman screamed before abrupt silence fell over the courtyard._

_A great shattering sound pierced the air as the crimson, crystalline sword burst into shards. Rushing air made a vacuum as the shards bound themselves to the fallen woman, before her form twisted and writhed. As the red crystal finally settled, a statue now lay before them all, covered in a blood like crystal. All were stunned at the remnants of Meredith Stannard._

_The Knight Captain and his lieutenant, Ser Liam, now backed away slowly, both letting the Champion and his party escape the city. There had been enough blood this day._

—————

     _Both Cullen and Liam stood upon a balcony overlooking the Waking Sea from the refurbished Gallows. It had been several years since the battle had nearly annihilated the City of Chains. Liam, now the Knight-Captain of the Kirkwall, had been an invaluable asset to the now Knight Commander, Cullen. The strong man’s limitless charisma and sharp wit had helped Cullen restore order to the chaotic city. It had taken them many months, but it was work worth doing. As a result, the two had become brothers in all but blood._

_Scores of Seekers had descended upon the City in Chains, their mission to gather intelligence. The Divine’s agents had repeatedly interviewed the two men, trying to understand exactly what had occurred as well as to study the remnants of Meredith Stannard. Eventually, the statue had been secreted away by the Seeker Order, in an attempt to crimson lyrium covering remains of crazed woman. But now, the latest news to reach Kirkwall had unsettled both the Knight Commander and his second-in-command._

_“Fuck._ She _is coming?!” Liam exclaimed._

_“Yes, she is. Although, I don’t understand what is to be gained by her involvement,” Cullen admitted._

_“The Right Hand of the Divine,” Liam said mockingly, fingering his charm depicting Andraste,“doesn’t leave Orlais unless it is to lay down judgment and annihilate the foes of Justinia. There’s a reason that she’s called ‘The Maker’s Fist’.”_

_“Indeed. All I know is that she’s here to interrogate someone, though I wasn’t told who. Maker help them,” Cullen said, shaking his head slowly. “All we can do is pray that we ourselves are not the targets of her investigation.”_

—————

   _“Are you sure?” Cullen asked. “You can get someone else to lead this mission.”_

_“You worry too much, my friend. It’s a simple supply mission,” Liam replied._

_The two men were walking through the Skyhold grounds, making their way down to the gates._

_“I’m aware, but surely another commander could take your place. You know that this route is perilous, my friend. We shouldn’t risk you like that,” Cullen pleaded._

_At this, Liam turned to his greatest friend, grey eyes blazing with their intensity. “When I am called to serve by our Maker, I do so with all my heart, with every part of my being. I would not ask another soldier to do a job that I myself would not do. I am going, my friend, and that is final.”_

_As they reached the gate, Cullen impulsively embraced the man before him. After a stunned pause, Liam hugged him back._

_“Goodbye, my friend. Walk with the Maker,” Cullen said._

_“And you as well, brother. I’ll be back before you know it,” Liam promised._

_And as the two parted ways, Cullen could not help but feel with increasing despair that those words had held such finality to them._  
—————

    And so it was. Liam had been lost when his group was ambushed, and there were no traces left behind of anyone. Cullen’s despair grew as he realized that his friend, his brother, had been forcibly turned into a behemoth. And now, hands shaking, the general knew what had to be done, what _must_ be done. So, tears openly streaming from his golden, amber eyes, Cullen raised his sword for one final time.

    “ _Though all before me is shadow, yet shall the Maker be my guide. For there is no darkness in the Maker's Light, and nothing that He has wrought shall be lost._ ”

—————

    Cullen’s heart quaked at the sight of his fallen friend. For several minutes, he did naught but stare at the remains of his comrade and brother. At the edge of his vision, he saw the other men and women watching him. Cullen vaguely noticed Gale wave back Cassandra when she tried to come to him. The Inquisitor’s general knelt beside the broken, shattered pieces of the behemoth, and reached down to grab the pendant that Liam, ever faithful Liam, always wore. The image of Andraste had somewhat melted away, but the vague impression was still there. Cullen placed it in his pocket, before placing a hand on the chest of the behemoth. The man could feel the strong energy running through the crystalline armor, but he chose to believe that what he felt was the soul of his departed friend. And so Cullen gave his final goodbye.

    “Draw your last breath, my friend. Cross the Veil and the Fade and all the stars in the sky. Rest at the Maker's right hand, and be forgiven. I will see you again…someday.”

—————

    Two weeks after the incident, Gale had been discussing with Cullen the training of the soldiers, when he noticed something different about the quiet man. The former templar had on a pendent, one that Gale had never seen before. It was a beautiful piece  that depicted the Prophet in beautiful mix of flaming colors, hues shifting between different intensities of red, gold, and orange.

    “That’s a beautiful necklace that you’re wearing, Cullen,” Gale remarked.

    “Oh, this? It depicts Andraste of the Flame. This aspect of the Prophet is meant to demonstrate the virtue of sacrifice,” Cullen explained, absently fingering the beautiful piece of jewelry.  
    “Where did you get it?” Gale inquired curiously. 

    And here Cullen’s smile turned sad. “I got it from one of the best men that I have ever known.”

**Author's Note:**

> FYI: The person Cassandra was coming to interrogate was Varric.
> 
> All of the religious chants were taken straight from the known verses of the Chant of Light.


End file.
